I have sent a Lemon Law Letter to Jeep with the following list of services attempts and repair results. I am not sure if they care or if this will qualify as a "Lemon", but I really love my Jeep...I just cant justify sticking with a vehicle with this number of problems for the entire 39 month term of my lease if this is going to keep up.....

· October 10, 2013o Prior to taking final delivery of the vehicle I test drove it. I had ordered the vehicle from the factory so it was not on the lot for me to have done so prior to leaving my deposit for the purchase. I notified my sales rep, Tyler, that the steering wheel was not centered at that time and asked that it be remedied before I take final delivery. I delayed my deliver in expectation that this was done· October 28, 2013o Steering Wheel was not centered when I picked the vehicle up so I scheduled an appointment and brought it in. Waited for the vehicle and when I took it for a ride upon its supposed completion, found the issue was not resolved at all· October 28, 2013o Steering wheel still not centered. Brought back on same day and was told that I wasn’t looking at the wheel correctly. Tech again attempted alignment and when I took the car for a ride on the local roads it seemed to be adequately resolved. Within about 2 days I had contacted the dealer service department again to let them know the issue had returned and seemed worse than before· October 30, 2013 – o Steering Wheel STILL not aligned to center and seems to have become worse § Upon completion, manager took it for a drive and issue seems to have been corrected through alignmento Steering wheel vibration, seems like a tire is out of balance§ No longer evident as may have been a side effect of alignment issueo Transmission severely “slams” at very low speeds (highway traffic) during 1st-to-2nd, 2nd-to-3rd and downshifts on the above. When coming to a stop from low speeds the transmission drops into 1st gear unexpectedly and causes the vehicle to lurch forward, feels as though someone has bumped the car from behind when it happens.§ Was told by manager that this is a known issue and “not technically out of spec” as Chrysler is supposedly working on a software update to remedy the issue· December 30, 2013 o Vehicle brought back in for another attempt at fixing steering wheel issue. Though it was fixed previously it seems to have returned to a crooked state over time since the last attempted repair§ Dealership conducted a 4-wheel alignment this time (not sure why this was not done previously) and found the rear end to be significantly out of spec. Once fixed this seems to have alleviated the problemo Transmission seems to be getting worse. Now when I accelerate I feel a vibration off the line which goes away at speed. No matter what speed I am traveling at the shifts are EXTREMELY abrupt and rough and seem to be getting much worse as the mileage of the vehicle increases§ Software update conducted and dealer advised a part was being ordered (A pressure valve) for the transmission that has been identified as improving the issue in other similar vehicles to dateo Satellite Radio cuts out intermittently with no reason or warning on open roads with no visible disruptions to the signal§ Dealer conducted a software update on the audio system, but no noticeable improvement has been seen o Driver seat is clicking and squeaking over bumps and around corners as though something in the seat frame is loose or has come apart· January 20, 2014o Vehicle being brought back to dealership for another attempt to resolve the transmission issues. The valve ordered on 12/30 will be installedo Upon the completion of the rear alignment on 12/30 a new noise has started in the rear suspension, described as a rubber and metal friction sound. Tech believes it to be one or more bushing of the left rear shock and will plan to replace during this visito Seat was not addressed during the 12/30 visit and will be addressed during this effort.

kohj1978

01-02-2014 03:34 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

In most states thiws wouldnt be a lemon, its generaly 3 issues all the same and a saftey problem like the folks with the dash issues, not a quaility issue like the seat,

netboy

01-02-2014 05:00 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Try a better dealer. You seem to be suffering from issues that many early 2014's suffer. The tranny has a software update (TSB# 21-007-13c) that should have solved the rough shifting. The Sat radio problems are solved by a replacement of the shark-fin antenna (TSB# 08-089-13). Both of those are known issues and should have been solved by the dealer. Take a look at WK2Jeeps and see what bulletins are effecting you, print them out and demand action from the dealer.

bill_de

01-02-2014 05:21 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Did you research your state's Lemon Law at all, or did you start with the letter?

Have you researched your state's Lemon Law yet, or was your second step to ask on an internet forum?

Just wondering. :confused:

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DanPorges

01-03-2014 09:06 AM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill_de
(Post 953619)

Did you research your state's Lemon Law at all, or did you start with the letter?

Have you researched your state's Lemon Law yet, or was your second step to ask on an internet forum?

Just wondering. :confused:

---

I researched it alot and have actually had one car declared a lemon previously. The deal in MA is simple, any 1 repair attempted 3 times or any combination of repairs causing 14 days of time with the vehicle in the shop. The steering wheel not being centered and them not being able to repair this originally was worthy of the letter as it had been 4 documented attempts without resolution. They fixed it on the "final repair attempt" visit. Now the transmission has been in for 3 repair attempts and January 20th will be the 4th and final for that defect.
For clarification, my question is not whether this is legally a "lemon" as the process of declaring a vehicle as such is based on the 3+1 repair attempt rule, but whether this is a list typical of the Grand Cherokee for 2014 (specifically where mine is NOT an early model, ordered form the factory in September) so that I can better assess whether I should escalate the claim to the MA Consumer Protection Agency who presses the Lemon Law claims forward as an advocate.

DanPorges

01-03-2014 09:09 AM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by netboy
(Post 953603)

Try a better dealer. You seem to be suffering from issues that many early 2014's suffer. The tranny has a software update (TSB# 21-007-13c) that should have solved the rough shifting. The Sat radio problems are solved by a replacement of the shark-fin antenna (TSB# 08-089-13). Both of those are known issues and should have been solved by the dealer. Take a look at WK2Jeeps and see what bulletins are effecting you, print them out and demand action from the dealer.

The dealer may be the problem, but they are also routinely the highest rated Mopar dealer in all of New England.
The TSB for the software update was applied and did nothing to remedy the problem. The satelite radio only included a software update for my VIN in the TSB, the antenna is supposedly already updated on later models, though I have my doubts.

DanPorges

01-03-2014 09:11 AM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kohj1978
(Post 953558)

In most states thiws wouldnt be a lemon, its generaly 3 issues all the same and a saftey problem like the folks with the dash issues, not a quaility issue like the seat,

Thanks, I agree the seat is not worthy of the lemon law, but I added to my letter for good measure of the shear number of problems. MA Lemon Law coveres "Defects effecting the Safety and potential Resale Value", so the steering wheel qualifies as both, the transmission is at least the latter if not both, the seat may only be the latter and that could be stretching

lstowell

01-03-2014 11:43 AM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanPorges
(Post 953922)

The dealer may be the problem, but they are also routinely the highest rated Mopar dealer in all of New England.
The TSB for the software update was applied and did nothing to remedy the problem. The satelite radio only included a software update for my VIN in the TSB, the antenna is supposedly already updated on later models, though I have my doubts.

If you are serious about declaring lemonade, unless you are a lawyer or have legal training, it might be worth it do drop a few bucks on one and pay attention to what they tell you would be needed to resolve it.

bill_de

01-03-2014 01:22 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanPorges
(Post 953921)

I researched it alot and have actually had one car declared a lemon previously. The deal in MA is simple, any 1 repair attempted 3 times or any combination of repairs causing 14 days of time with the vehicle in the shop. The steering wheel not being centered and them not being able to repair this originally was worthy of the letter as it had been 4 documented attempts without resolution. They fixed it on the "final repair attempt" visit. Now the transmission has been in for 3 repair attempts and January 20th will be the 4th and final for that defect.
For clarification, my question is not whether this is legally a "lemon" as the process of declaring a vehicle as such is based on the 3+1 repair attempt rule, but whether this is a list typical of the Grand Cherokee for 2014 (specifically where mine is NOT an early model, ordered form the factory in September) so that I can better assess whether I should escalate the claim to the MA Consumer Protection Agency who presses the Lemon Law claims forward as an advocate.

Thanks for the explanation. I read that you were unsure if it would qualify as a lemon.

I think the problem might be with the dealer not being able to fix simple problems. I would try a different dealer if I otherwise liked the Jeep. I do not have my Jeep serviced where I bought it. I'm happy I switched and the service manager said he is happy to have a new customer.

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johngreen1234

01-03-2014 02:05 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

ANSWER: Your car is a lemon if the law allows it to be declared a lemon. The OP has already had one vehicle declared a lemon and apparently the law offers no protection against predatory customers.

I own a WK (my third Jeep) and I read the WK2 forums to get an idea of what to expect from the next model. I can tell you that everything listed is either a known defect with current solutions or solutions in-progress, or else completely pissant.

Is this why genuine safety defects are ignored, because predators like this go to town on the slightest shimmy? If the law allows this kind of behavior, then the the law is at fault; followed by the customer; followed by the inattentive dealer (maybe they're just tired of all the whining); and in FOURTH place would be the manufacturer, IMO.

Go get 'em!

DanPorges

01-05-2014 06:46 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Quote:

Originally Posted by johngreen1234
(Post 954047)

ANSWER: Your car is a lemon if the law allows it to be declared a lemon. The OP has already had one vehicle declared a lemon and apparently the law offers no protection against predatory customers.

I own a WK (my third Jeep) and I read the WK2 forums to get an idea of what to expect from the next model. I can tell you that everything listed is either a known defect with current solutions or solutions in-progress, or else completely pissant.

Is this why genuine safety defects are ignored, because predators like this go to town on the slightest shimmy? If the law allows this kind of behavior, then the the law is at fault; followed by the customer; followed by the inattentive dealer (maybe they're just tired of all the whining); and in FOURTH place would be the manufacturer, IMO.

Go get 'em!

I am a little offended by the post here. I am not in any way a predatory customer and expect a new car, especially one that costs $40k, to at least be free of visible defects when I purchase it from the dealership.
My first vehicle that was declared a lemon was a 2006 Honda Civic. It had a vibration in the steering column that was found to be due to a broken weld in the chassis which was declared unrepairable after 5+ attempts and Honda Motors of America getting involved.... so they bought my car back. I gave them every attempt feasible to fix it and they simply could not

On my WK2, The steering wheel being crooked is not just a minor annoyance, if I attempt to drive the car straight by placing the wheel where it should be I aggressively was drifting into another lane or oncoming traffic. I can obviously keep it at an angle to avoid this, but what happens when my wife drives the car who isn't used to this, or when I go to trade the car in or sell it this would be a visible issue that would detract from the sale price. Now that this issue has been resolved, that's off my list, but I am on my 4th attempt to repaid the sever slamming of the transmission into gear and lurching at a stop the downshift into 1st is causing. This is a known issue, but their software update, version D, did not resolve it and in fact has added an additional problem. The dealer is now going to try the valve replacement that some other posters have advised, but this is still a safety and value-impacting defect so I would again hardly call myself predatory.
This is 100% the manufacturer's fault. They have not built a product free of defect and have not been able to figure out how to fix it. I'm sure this is a large portion of the reason they kept delaying the Cherokee's release this summer/fall as they kept retuning the transmission before release. If they had done the same in building the Grand Cherokee and not just rush to get the sales started we would not have a 400+ posting thread on here focused solely on this defect.
To someone who is not on this forum and who is not aware of the known defect of the WK2 8-spd, this will have an impact on the sale price or trade in value of my Jeep. I have given Chrysler 3 attempts and counting, and I am willing to work with them, but it is not correct to say they are not at fault if the dealer has done exactly what they have been told (all TSB's, all parts, etc) and the issue is still not resolved.

johngreen1234

01-05-2014 07:17 PM

Re: Is my 2014 Laredo a Lemon?

Well, I'd like to see your original post restated to include only what you think your "lemon law" issues are, and not other things added in for "good measure". That way I won't get so confused. Until that, here are my comments just picking at random:

1. No warranty that I'm aware of protects the buyer's resale value. Nor am I aware of any lemon law that protects it, but I've already slapped my forehead numb, so I'm certainly ready to be educated on that point.

2. Perhaps I was once again not reading carefully when you talked about the steering wheel being off center, when you meant to say that the steering pulls, a clear safety issue?

3. Regarding your previous lemon car, thank you for clearing this up. A safety issue is a safety issue. It seems remarkable to me that given how few cars nationwide are bought back over safety issues, that you would have two of them in so short a time?

4. Certainly I'm an outsider here on the WK2 forum, but like I said I'm taking an active interest in what may be my next car. I agree there seem to be quite a few issues here, but I've also seen solutions and solutions-in-progress, and some disagreement over whether some of these problems exist in the first place.

I'm sorry I have so very little patience with people who have given up trying to solve problems, especially with a car they at one point liked enough to buy for $40k or more. And like I said, if the lemon law allows you to throw this car back for the listed defects, well then the law's at fault, IMO.